AT THE ALLIANCE

ASHTON HAWKINS ELECTED NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE ALLIANCE
Longtime board member Ashton Hawkins has been elected the new chairman of the Alliance for the Arts' Board of Trustees. Mr. Hawkins, who spent 33 years as counsel at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, succeeds Paul Beirne. Mr. Beirne served as chairman and treasurer for more than a decade and will remain an active board member.

NEW WAGNER FELLOW
On January 4, Julie McGinnis joined the Alliance as the fifth Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Fellow for Public Policy and the Arts. Ms. McGinnis graduated from Princeton University in June where she earned a B.A. in Art and Archeology, with minors in American Studies and French Language and Literature. Named in memory of Robert F. Wagner, Jr. (1944-1993), a prominent government official and teacher and an Alliance board member for many years, the Wagner Fellow acts as a liaison to the city's cultural organizations and public officials.

IN THE NEWS

CITY ACCEPTING PROPOSALS FOR CULTURAL AFTER-SCHOOL INITIATIVE
The deadline for proposals for the City's Cultural After-School Adventures (CASA) initiative is Tuesday, January 10 at 5 pm. Presented by the City's Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), in partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York City Council, the CASA initiative is an opportunity for nonprofit cultural organizations and DYCD Out-of-School-Time providers to collaborate on offering cultural experiences to New York City youth. A total of $1.9 million will be available for cultural services delivered between February 20, 2006 and June 30, 2006.

ARTIST DEDUCTION BILL INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS
Thanks to a bipartisan measure sponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) along with Senators Robert Bennett (R-UT), Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Pete Domenici (R-NM), artists may soon be able to take a tax deduction for the fair market value of certain works donated to charitable organizations. Under current law, artists may take a tax deduction only for the cost of materials, such as paint and canvas. According to the Americans for the Arts' Legislative Updates, the measure was approved by the Senate on November 18, 2005, but the House and Senate have made no immediate plans to take further action on the larger bill.

CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE CLOSES
After more than a decade dedicated to helping improve the research infrastructure and foster public debate about cultural policy, the Arlington, Virginia-based Center for Arts and Culture has closed.

PEOPLE

Deborah Schwartz is the new president of the Brooklyn Historical Society, effective February 1. Ms. Schwartz is the former deputy director of education at the Museum of Modern Art.

CALENDAR

ARTS & LEISURE WEEKEND JAN 5-9
The fifth annual New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend will be held January 5 to 9. The event will feature buy-one-get-one-free pricing for events at participating cultural organizations across the United States and Europe, including organizations in New York City.